The Pros and Cons of living close to High Street

While living close to High Street can have its benefits, it can sometimes have drawbacks as well. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor

For my first two years of living at Ohio State, I had the “pleasure” of living at Morrill Tower. Now in my third year, I am living off campus, at an undisclosed location that for the sake of this article we will refer to as Area 53 — not to be mistaken with Area 51, which is right next door. Area 53 is just a few houses down from High Street, and with that proximity comes some pros and cons to living close to the busiest street on campus— and maybe even Columbus.

Pros:

Food

It is tough to ask for much more in terms of food. Do I want to get a burrito? The walk to Chipotle is two minutes. What about some crispy chicken tenders? Raising Cane’s is just around the corner. Am I feeling cheap and just want to use my meal plan on campus? The Ohio Union has several food options. You get the point. Food is an important part of every day, and Area 53 is near so much of it that I never really run out of options.

Close to campus

Being close to High Street means being close to the Union. And being close to the Union means being close to buses for when it’s cold or I’m just feeling lazy. I also find that my farthest classes — located in the Journalism Building — are only a 15-minute walk away, which is nothing to complain about. It also means that when I’m done editing the paper on Mondays and Wednesdays, I don’t have to walk too long before I’m back home.

Cons:

It gets rowdy

Believe it or not, students don’t always spend Friday and Saturday nights calling their parents, finishing homework and going to bed on time. Some people head to places like Midway and Bullwinkles to get — as the hip youngsters say — “lit.” That’s totally cool.

At the end of the week, I too like to partake in a liquid refreshment in the form of a nice, cold Coca-Cola. But sometimes after one too many liquid refreshments, the caffeine must really get to some folks and people start getting loud. The people get loud, the speakers from the bars and houses around me get loud and the sound of police sirens are even louder. It makes sleeping a challenge sometimes.

Panhandlers

“No, I’m sorry, sir. I don’t have any cash on me.” I’ve got the phrase on deck every time I cross High Street. I never have any cash on me (what is printed money?), and even if I did, I’m much less likely to give it when someone abruptly stops me to ask if I can give it to them. I try to be helpful when I can, but it is annoying when I’m just trying to get home at 10:30 p.m.

High Street is the heart of off-campus, and living so close to the street and all its glory makes for some interesting moments and memories. I’d recommend a close house to anyone — so long as they’re up for the challenge.